


Take me to the stars

by freshiewrites, SansyFresh



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Blood, Broken Bones, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Mild Fluff, Outer is called Comet, im not sure what else tags to add
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-01-05 21:28:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21215342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freshiewrites/pseuds/freshiewrites, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SansyFresh/pseuds/SansyFresh
Summary: Comet is pretty scared for his universe. Its a good thing Error isn't there to destroy anything, for once.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yastaghr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yastaghr/gifts).

> this is a fic for yastaghr!! i hope you enjoy it ^^
> 
> Comet is Outertale Sans!! i just really hate the name Outer lol
> 
> enjoy ^^

When Error first found that he could traverse the Multiverse with just the tips of his fingers, he was  _ almost  _ positive he would never again return to the Antivoid. There were so many possibilities at his literal fingertips that he’d never have to come back if he didn’t want to. He could travel where he wanted, kill who he wanted, keep who he wanted, and he had all the shows he could possibly ask for!

Undernovela was his first love, but he quickly discovered that watching a few of the others, even the darker ones, was quality entertainment. Watching them and joining them in their worlds was more fun than staying in the silent Antivoid had ever been, and Error had about zero plans to ever go back.

Of course, that plan lasted right up until the first actual, full blown panic attack. His breathing got heavy, his chest ached, his vision blurred until it was black and the next thing he was aware of, he was back in the Antivoid. At first he’d cursed and screamed and clawed another portal open, desperate to be anywhere else… and that was when he’d found it.

Outertale, as it was called in the Code, was… something he’d never thought he’d care about. He’d seen the name a few times, in a few iterations, but this was the first time he’d ever been to one. And he was enthralled.

Stars, galaxies, nebulas, as far as the eye could see nothing but endless space, the only ground beneath him the hard dusty rock of a meteor. He could sense the souls of the monsters trapped on this rock far off, beyond the horizon of what he could see, and while the voices screamed for their deaths… he sat. Tilted his head back. And gazed at the stars. 

The voices tended to quiet down, when he was there. They still screamed full force when he left, which made it hard to leave but he didn’t feel like he belonged there anymore than he belonged to any of the other AUs. The Antivoid, he’d decided after long contemplation under the stars, was his unfortunate home. He returned there after hours,  _ days  _ spent in Outertale, listening to the voices tell him what to do. Then, after the necessary dust was shed, another AU crumpled under his strings, he’d return.

It began as a trip to quiet the voices, but it became a necessity for his soul. The stars, the quiet, all of it was a balm to his broken soul and he couldn’t ask for a better salve. He’d never leave if he didn’t have to, but there was nothing keeping him there other than the stars and even those didn’t have as much power over him as the voices.

He should have figured on the Sans of Outertale finally catching on to his presence. It was just so peaceful that the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.

~.~

When Comet first learned from Undyne that there was some strangely colored skeleton hanging out on the farther edge of the badlands, far enough away that he wasn’t a security concern per say but worrying enough because he was opening portals to get there… well. He was pretty quick to warn her to keep anyone away that might provoke or try to talk to the skeleton and went out himself to see what was up.

Upon confirming his suspicions that it was the Destroyer that was showing up for days on end and just… sitting there? Comet felt perhaps his first move was a big rash in hindsight. In his defense, it was the  _ Destroyer _ ; the skeleton, the  _ Sans  _ responsible for the death of so many innocent monsters. Comet didn’t know why Error felt the need to go around killing people, didn’t know why he might come here for any reason other than that. So… they fought. Remembering back on it, Comet might have realized that Error had been badly startled, his eyelights wide and full of panic as he summoned bones and strings to fight with.

Comet had barely escaped that fight by the skin of his teeth (heh), and only because in the end, Error opened a portal back to some sort of white void and hopped through. It closed before Comet could decide whether to give chase or whether to take a shortcut home and lick his wounds.

So go home he went, where his Papyrus helped him heal up and insisted to know just what was going on. Comet was honest and told him about Error, and forbade his brother to go anywhere near the dangerous skeleton. Papyrus agreed, but only because if he went to talk to Error, it could mean less valuable time getting monsters to safety at the main base. 

Comet kept an eye socket out after that for Error, but the Destroyer didn’t show up again for months after their fight. It had been so long that he’d started to think Error wasn’t coming back, a little thing like relief sitting in his soul, until he came back to that same spot and, like a dark angel from the stars above, there was Error. 

He was wearing different clothing, more concealing of his brighter colors and his skull, but Comet could feel his LV from where he hid. He couldn’t sense just how much it was, which was likely because of Error’s nature, but he could feel it was there. 

Unwilling to get into another fight (since the last one had gone so well), this time Comet simply waited, and watched. He had to be sure Error wasn’t doing anything nefarious, wasn’t scoping out their universe to see the easiest ways to scramble the code and dust everyone in it. He needed to prepare everyone if that was the case, though he wasn’t sure how much time they actually had before the crazed maniac just started flinging strings around and dusting people.

But, after a few days of watching, waiting, watching some more… nothing happened. Error, the Destroyer of worlds, Killer of the masses… simply popped through a portal, sat, and stared up at the stars. 

Comet himself was… less than impressed with stars, anymore. He might have been, if monsters were still on Earth, but after being among them? With no escape? If anything the stars had become his prison, twinkling in laughter at their plight. Most other monsters still held some form of reverence for the stars, seeing as how the Angel was a star herself, but no.

No, Comet had no love for the stars. But… he thought he might have understood why Error did.

After a little while longer, Comet decided that, rather than contacting Ink and the other pretentious little assholes that followed him, he’d take care of Error himself. And he’d do it with all the hospitality a Sans could give. Which was decidedly about none, but hey, could you blame him?

“‘Ey, bud, ya like ‘dogs?” he asked, stepping loudly through the dirt towards a very surprised Error. The other stared at him warily as he plopped down, sitting a good few feet away, leaving him plenty of space to shortcut if Error tried anything. 

And, well, if he figured giving Error space to breathe might be the polite thing to do, that was between him and the Angel.

“WhAT dO yOU mEAn?” he finally asked, seemingly confused. Comet could take a few guesses as to just what Error was confused about, but instead simply held up a ‘dog. A nice, round water sausage in a bun with relish and mustard, just how Comet liked it. 

Not that he could assume Error would like his ‘dogs the same way, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. 

Error stared down at the ‘dog with a sort of wary skepticism. “WhAt’s ThE CaTCh?”

Comet grinned. “50g for it? Its a quality ‘dog, c’n promise that.” It really was, not that it was worth a solid 50g but Comet liked to pride himself on as quality ingredients as he could gather.

Error’s nose scrunched, before he glanced down at the ‘dog. Comet waved it helpfully, watching as Error glanced back up at him before raising a brow.

“yOu waNt mE tO EaT ThAT?”

Comet nodded, grin straight as a ruler.

Error considered it for a moment. “HoW AboUt 500g?”

Comet snorted. Hook, line and sinker, even if it was a bit weird. Error was crazy, though, everybody said so, so maybe it wasn’t as strange as Comet felt it was. He dutifully handed over the ‘dog with magic when Error reached out for it, watching with a sort of unwanted satisfaction as Error took a bite, smiled a small, secret grin, and looked up.

“aLrIGht, pAy uP.”

Comet blinked, confused, the look on Error’s face similar to a cat who’d caught a mouse.

“WhAt? YoU jUSt SaiD yOu WAntEd mE tO eAt iT.”

He stared, hard and lifeless for a moment, before a laugh bubbled up out of his throat. As per the agreement he hadn’t even realized he’d made, he tossed the awarded g over to Error, who caught it with a grin and a wink.

“DoN’T TrY tO OUtfOx a SAnS.” Error said, getting to his feet and brushing off his ass before opening a portal and hopping through it.

Comet stared at the empty space he’d been for a while, still a bit in shock. “I am a Sans, though.” he finally said with a laugh.

~.~

There were a few times, after that, when Error would show up and Comet would leave him be. The guy wasn’t doing anything but enjoying something Comet’s universe had in spades, was probably even enjoying the peace and quiet, so he left him alone.

There was one time, however, that Comet came to check on him (the small back of takeout from Grillby’s had nothing to do with anything, he just wanted a snack) and… Error didn’t look so great.

Comet had his fair share of problems, depression and what not, but…

Error had been laying on the ground, curled up into a ball, his hood pulled over his head tight and little errors surrounding him like static. Comet felt it was probably not best to touch him, remembered that fight they’d had in vivid technicolor as he sat a wrapped burg down beside Error’s head and sat a little ways away, but closer than he’d ever tried before. 

It took a while for the trembling to stop, Error remaining in that curled up state for a while longer before he seemed to register that Comet was there. His shoulders tensed, even as he sat up a little, refusing to look in Comet’s direction even as he grabbed the burg and unwrapped it, taking in the smothered double cheese and relish burg before he took a bite.

Comet stayed there with him until, again, he stood, brushed himself off, and headed back to that white place. 

After that something seemed to change, something falling into place that had the two of them growing closer. It wasn’t anything romantic, Comet wasn’t really interested in anyone like that and Error seemed a little to unhinged to actually consider those kinds of feelings. But, after a few more visits, a few more burgs and ‘dogs and even ‘cats shared, they began to talk.

At first, it was small things. What kind of ‘dog or ‘cat was their favorite, what toppings they liked on their burgs, what Comet’s Grillby was like, what Comet’s Papyrus was like (that one ended with Error needing to leave early, for whatever reason). Then… before they knew it, they were on to the big stuff. The heavy stuff. The stuff that made them lay awake at night with hollow sockets.

Comet talked about why he hated the stars. Why he wished more than anything that monsters could go back to Earth and stay there. Why he sort of wanted to die sometimes.

Error talked about the voices that screamed and cursed and told him what to do. He explained why he did the things he did, why he killed the people he killed, why… why he felt like such a monster he could barely even breathe through the guilt. 

It was why he continued coming to Outertale. Why he returned so often, why he came back over and over and over, it was because the voices were so much quieter here. 

He felt… at peace here. As much as he could feel it, at any rate, and as much as he’d just rather stay, someone would find out. Someone would come, and attack him, and he’d blank out and this whole universe would be destroyed.

Comet felt that was a little much, but he understood. Ink was a bit of a relentless fuck; he’d always wanted to take Error down and if  _ he  _ knew  _ Comet  _ knew where he was? There’d be bloodshed, no doubt about it. Ink liked to play pretend as one of the good guys, but could someone with no emotions, who experimented with peoples’ lives for fun, really ever be a good person?

Comet didn’t think so. But again, he was pretty good at the whole “judging people” thing, so who was he to talk? Ink could be the most standup guy there was, but since he had a vendetta against Error? Comet could care less about the guy.

Eventually it was noticed by the other monsters that he seemed to be feeling better emotionally. The Dog Guard picked up on it almost instantly, asking him who he’d met that’d put him in such good spirits. “You smell like black bones!” they’d say, and he’d chuckle and wave them off, siting that he’d met a new friend who was shy and stayed at their house mostly.

None of them ever seemed to want to know more than that, which Comet was grateful for. He wasn’t sure how to explain to everyone that he’d befriended a universe murdering psychopath; that would go over well, he was pretty sure. 

Papyrus asked for the truth, plain and simple, and Comet gave it to him. His brother had been concerned, at first for his safety and wellbeing, but gave his blessing for whatever friendship this turned out to be.

“It’s not a marriage, Paps.” Comet had said, teasingly, and Papyrus had simply waved him off with a scoff.

“It could be, one day! You don’t know for sure, but until you do, you have my platonic blessing!”

Comet simply laughed and hugged his brother, Papyrus returning it happily.

Of course, all good things come to an end, at some point. The first few days Error didn’t show up, Comet hadn’t been concerned. Sometimes the voices were too much and Error never wanted to come over when he was dealing with that. 

After the first month, however, Comet started to get worried. Ink could have found him, Nightmare could have taken him, anything at all could have happened in any universe and Comet would have no way of helping him.

After the sixth month, Comet had given up hope. He returned to napping at his station, slacking off at Grillby’s, and… after that last, final, twelfth month. Comet stopped going back to the sitting place.

Papyrus had asked him what was wrong, and Comet just… couldn’t put it into words. The feeling of abandonment, the feeling that he hadn’t been a good enough friend, that Error had found somewhere, someone else to spend his days and share his food with. It scared him, sorta made his depression worse, and really he just didn’t want to talk about it.

So he didn’t.

And it wasn’t until nearly three months later that Undyne ran into the skeleton brother’s house, yelling that the “random ass charred ass skeleton” was back. Papyrus had gasped in shock, Comet blinking for a moment before he was up and on his feet, opening a shortcut to the sitting place before he could think.

For a moment his vision blurred, it must have, because while the colors were all right, Error’s bones shouldn’t look like that. They shouldn’t have been dislocated, broken, covered in bright red marrow that made the black of his face pop. 

Comet stepped forward, the sound making Error jerk in surprise from where he was sitting hunched on the ground, his eyelights glancing around before they settled on him. His sockets widened in surprise, then crinkled in happiness as he made an aborted attempt to move forward.

“hEy CoMEt, yOu, uH… YoU GoT ANy ‘DoGs bY ChanCE?” He winced as he spoke, Comet taking it all in before he ran over, pulling Error into as tight of a hug as he thought he could manage. 

“I missed you, bastard.” Comet snarled, even as he leaned back and began pumping healing magic into Error’s bones. The skeleton himself seemed to be in a daze, a dopey grin on his face as he stared unblinking at the stars. It was silent for a long moment, Error saying nothing and Comet focusing on healing as much of the damage as he could manage.

“SorRy, gOt cAuGht.” was all he answered, Comet choking on a sob before he finally let his magic ebb, the drain of it making him lean hard into the ground, Error leaning against him. Slowly, he sat back, letting the two of them lay back into the hard dirt, both exhausted and aching. 

“Stay wit’ me. Here. Don’t leave again or I swear I’ll let ya die next time.” Comet said, voice filled with unspoken, deep, painful sorrow. He’d lost Error once, he couldn’t do it a second time, no matter who might come to his universe seeking bloodshed. He’d shank a bitch before he’d let anything else happen to his friend.

Error simply glanced at him, eyelights still blown wide from the pain then subsequent healing, and nodded.

Comet could have cried in relief, but instead, he fished his phone from his pocket, letting Papyrus know he’d be home later. He had a nap to take, and a buddy to take it with.


	2. He'd Be Damned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at that, a continuation!! i hope this is a good one ^^
> 
> there might even be a third part, so be on the lookout for that!
> 
> enjoy ^^

It took a few hours of napping for Comet to feel especially ready, both physically and emotionally, to get up and help Error to his feet. It was a long walk back to the station, Error little more than a dead weight in his arms as he trudged along, his magic shot to hell and back from healing the bastard.

That was something they were going to have a long ass talk about, Error just up and leaving and staying gone for months and getting into fights he probably couldn’t win. Error was still a Sans, after all, and Comet knew what he was like when he was feeling on edge and just the right side of manic.

He was sure Papyrus would have some shit to say when they got home, especially since he knew who Error was. He’d say that Comet was making rash decisions and he’d be right, but Comet would be fucked if he ever let Error get hurt again. He’d be fucked if he let anyone do anything to hurt his brother, and Error fit under that category now. He was family, that was the straight and simple truth of it.

No one stopped him as he trudged through the small outskirts of Snowdin Station, none of the guards giving him a second glance as he passed them. Thankfully Error was mostly unconscious through the entire endeavor; Comet didn’t want to deal with the guy going nuts out of panic and hurting someone. A few of the townspeople gave him looks, the few that seemed as though they wanted to ask if they could help turning and minding their own business when Comet gave them his patented Stare. He was not about to explain to some random monsters who it was he had in his arms and just why the Destroyer was here. Or, y’know, why Comet was helping said Destroyer.

It took at least another ten minutes of walking through town to reach the little bungalow that he and Papyrus shared, his boot hitting the door solidly twice. There was a shuffle from inside, Papyrus opening the door with a wide smile that dropped when he saw the amount of marrow and magic staining their clothes. Not, y’know, mention the now completely dead weight black boned skeleton in his arms.

“Come inside, come inside!!” Papyrus whispered harshly, pulling them both inside and shutting the door quickly. Comet shuffled over to the couch, flopping down with Error still in his arms. 

“‘ey Paps, c’n I get a drink of water?” Comet asked, his throat nearly dry enough it ached. Papyrus was fluttering around, covering them with a blanket, draping a large quilt over Error especially, but he nodded when the request registered. It took a moment, Comet listening to the sound of Papyrus’ footsteps through the little kitchen and the sound of the tap turning on, before a cup was wavering in front of his vision.

He gingerly took it with a shaking hand, gulping down the water before nearly dropping the cup back into Papyrus’ hands. 

“Sleep now, brother, I’ll keep watch.” Papyrus whispered, patting the top of his head. Comet nodded, letting his eyelids flutter shut. He deserved some sleep after all the hard work he’d done keeping the stupid ass bastard he called a friend alive.

It didn’t take long for him to fall into a much deeper sleep than he probably should have been in, given who was in his arms.

~.~

When Error awoke again, the first thing he realized was that the walls weren’t white. Or if they were, they’d been through too many washes to stay that pearly white they might have been once. Still, it was nowhere near the white of the AntiVoid, and that was his first impression that something was wrong. 

The second was the burning feeling of two arms surrounding him, touching him, along with what felt like a sturdy weight on top of his body. He needed out of the hold, out of the pressure of touch that was slowly driving him m a d.

“Error, it’s alright.” 

He stopped struggling, the familiar voice making him freeze in place as his skull slowly craned back to see who was talking to him. 

Papyrus was standing there, staring down at him with fear in his eyes, and that was what reminded Error that this wasn’t his Papyrus. He’d never see his Papyrus again, he was dead, he was never coming back.

He didn’t realize that he was hyperventilating until gentle hands were slowly coming towards him in his periphery and he teleported a good three feet away, the blanket coming with him, draped over his shoulders.

“DoN’T ToUCh mE!”

Something like whiplash snapped his brain as he blinked and Comet was in front of him, hands up in a semblance of protectiveness. Error blinked, the tense line of his shoulders dropping as he shifted, unsure. “CoMEt?”

“Hey man, its uh, its okay.” Comet said carefully, picking each word like he was picking his way through a minefield. Error could feel himself slowly losing tension until he slumped in place, stifling a yawn through a closed fist. He was so damn tired, even after sleeping as long as he had.

“C’mon, man, le’s take ya to bed, huh? You c’n sleep in mine.” Comet said, soothing as he moved forward and gently guided Error to one of the back rooms without touching him. Error curled onto the small mattress when Comet led him inside, sockets fluttering shut before he could stop them. “Don’ worry, I’ll keep watch.” Comet whispered, something like he’d heard before that day, but before Error could decide where it’d been he fell back asleep.

~.~

It was a few days later, Error in and out of consciousness, that Comet realized his brother hadn’t been around the house very much. It didn’t take much to guilt trip Undyne into letting him know that Paps had been staying over at her house pretty well at all hours, even for the past night or so.

It was unusual only because Papyrus almost always came home long enough to make sure Comet was sleeping before he went anywhere else. Comet had a fairly good idea of why his brother was avoiding the house, but cornering him to get a straight answer had turned out to be a bit more difficult that Comet was used to. 

First there was the time when Papyrus should have been on patrol, but instead was at an MTT show with Undyne’s blessing. Then there was the time when Comet had made dinner for the three of them and ended up just eating it with Error, since Papyrus had texted last second saying Alphys had invited him over to test some new equipment. 

Comet felt the whole situation growing pretty old, pretty fast. He needed to let Papyrus know that Error didn’t blame him, seeing as how they’d discussed the whole situation.

“Y’know Paps didn’ mean it, right?” Comet had said, quietly knitting while he and Error watched Undernovela through a portal Error had conjured. 

Error glanced at him, eyes wide for a moment, before he nodded. “I kNOw. I’m gONnA hAVe To GeT uSed tO a PapYrus AgAIn.”

And that had been the end of the conversation. Papyrus really needed to help him out and get Error resocialized with real people, people who didn’t scream at him through the day and night. 

In the end, cornering his brother ended up easier than Comet thought it would be, especially after so many failed attempts. He woke one night to the sound of the TV playing in the living room, his footsteps light as he made his way down the hall and behind the couch. Papyrus was sitting on the very edge of the cushion, clearly uncomfortable even as he continued taking notes on the MTT show playing. 

Comet waited until he was sure Papyrus knew he was standing there before gently whispering. “‘ey Paps, done runnin’?” 

Papyrus refused to look at him, instead pausing the show and vigorously continuing to write down the recipe for a star parfait. Comet nodded, mostly to himself, before climbing up and over the back of the couch to flop down beside his brother. Papyrus finally turned to fix him with a stare, one that Comet answered with a sly grin.

“Mind tellin’ me why ya haven’ been home?”

Papyrus sighed heavily, turning back to his recipe pages, but just as Comet was sure he wasn’t going to answer, his voice came through, nearly a whisper. 

“He’s afraid of me… I don’t want to set him off again.” He sounded saddened by it, which Comet thought made a lot of sense. His brother wanted to be liked by everyone, and dislike? He could handle. Outright fear? He had no idea what to do with it. 

Comet leaned over, resting against Papyrus’ side as he spoke. “‘e needs some family, Paps. He don’t got a Papyrus anymore, told me so himself. He could use another brother to watch out for him.”

Papyrus glanced down at him, sockets wide, but Comet just stared straight ahead, unblinking. He’d already decided he cared about Error. He just knew that Error wouldn’t get any better just dependent on one person.

“Alright.” 

Comet looked up, finding Papyrus staring back at him with a soft smile. “Yeah?”

Papyrus nodded. “Yeah. He deserves the best brothers, and who else could be that for him? Certainly not those assholes who came and harassed us!”

Comet could have choked on the laughter that came out of his mouth at the thought of his little brother actually disliking the other Sanses that had come through a portal one day. It had been sort of a sour meeting, seeing as how Comet had befriended Error at that point, and here Ink and the Asshole Brigade was asking for his head on a platter. 

“You right, Paps.”

And that was the end of the conversation. Papyrus stayed home after that, still avoiding being too close to Error or touching him, but they began to talk after the third panic attack Error had from some wrong word or random trigger. Comet had started to write them down after the fourth anxiety attack, keeping a tidy little list that he copied and gave to Papyrus and Error both. They were careful after that, trying to help Error be as comfortable as he could be.

Dinners were an affair, mostly because Error didn’t actually have to eat anymore so, for the most part, he didn’t. The first time he ate Pap’s sparkling rotini, though, he began asking for and trying new things and new experiences. 

It had been almost two months before Alphys had given Comet a call, Comet surprised it didn’t take her longer what with her crippling anxiety and fear of actually calling over the phone. 

It was a pretty short conversation, all being said. 

“I-I’m telling you S-Sans, h-having him h-here is d-dangerous!”

Comet picked at his teeth with a bone, staring boredly as Error and Paps stood in the kitchen, attempting to make star parfait  _ muffins _ , of all things. “I don’ really care, Al. He’s family.”

There was a strong huff from the other side of the line, Alphys clearly aggravated with him, even if she wasn’t about to say so out loud. “Well, w-when that p-painty bastard c-comes back asking f-for him, you’ll not h-have any h-help!!”

Comet huffed a laugh. “Why don’ you come meet him? He’s house trained and everything.”

Error turned to fix him with a glare, Comet winking in return as Error rolled his eyes. 

“I-I… I don’t kn-now…” Alphys’s voice came through, unsure. Comet would have patted her on the back if they’d been in the same room. 

“Jus’ think about it, Al. Come over fer supper some time, you’ll see.” And with that he had mercy on her and hung up, letting his phone flop down onto the couch. He might as well see how those muffins came out.

~.~

There was a loud knock on the door, Error sitting up from under his blankets as he stared blankly at the heavy wooden door. He’d known that this universe’s Alphys was coming over today, she and Comet had made a bit of an agreement that she would at least give Error a chance.

He wasn’t entirely sure he deserved a chance, but all in all he didn’t really care much either way anymore. 

Still, that knock was too heavy and hard handed to have been from an Alphys, which meant that Undyne had likely come with her. Error wasn’t sure how to feel about that, not when he’d been preparing himself for dealing with someone more anxious than himself. Not for the Captain of the Guard, Undyne the Undying. 

He would do his best, for Comet’s sake, but after so many panic and anxiety attacks he knew he might not be able to handle it. If he couldn’t, he would go to the bedroom and hide under the bed until they left.

He didn’t have to wait long for Papyrus to come running to answer the door, the sight of the captain and the royal scientist standing there enough make Error’s soul constrict. Still, he pushed himself to stay seated, watching carefully as they made their way inside, talking to Papyrus. 

The side eyes they gave him were obvious, the fear and distrust even more so. Even so, he kept himself seated and didn’t say anything until Papyrus introduced them. 

“Undyne, Alphys, this is Error! He’s our guest for the forseeable future!” Papyrus said with a little more cheer than Error thought the situation called for. Comet had walked in at some point and was standing just behind the couch, a solid wall at Error’s back. He took some strength from that and gave a little wave.

“NiCe To MeEt You.”

The two women flinched at the sound of his voice, but neither of them were crass enough to mention it, instead giving little waves of their own.

Papyrus seemed delighted, clapping his hands together softly once before herding them all to the kitchen. “I’ve prepared an excellent dinner with the help of my new brother, I hope it’s up to standards!” he exclaimed as they all took their seats, Error feeling his face heat up at the praise. 

Dinner was a fairly quiet affair, Undyne only asking for the recipe once and Alphys mostly focused on her phone for whatever reason. Error got the feeling she was doing something sciency, but without being able to see the screen he was unsure. Still, every little bit one of them would give him a searching glance, as if waiting for him to go off the deep end and try to tear their throats out with his teeth. 

A stupid concept; he didn’t even have fangs. 

The conversation would stutter and stop for minutes at a time, making things more and more awkward before Error finally decided he would say the one thing he knew they needed to know.

“I’m nOT HeRe To KiLL AnyOnE.”

Undyne and Alphys stared at him in shock, seemingly surprised he’d spoken. He stared down at his plate of picked at food, taking a small bite of green beans before he shrugged.

“I KnOW ThAt’s WHat You’RE WoRRIEd ABouT, RIghT? ThAT I’m GonnA Go CrAZy And KiLL EvEryONe?”

Alphys winced, but Undyne stared at him, assessing. 

“You’re not wrong, Outworlder.” Undyne said, eye narrowed. “We have no real reason to trust that you won’t go nuts and kill us all.”

Error might have flinched, had he not known it was the truth. There was every possibility that he would lose himself and, in the process, lose his new family. But…

“I Won’T Let ThAt HappEn.” He wouldn’t let the voices get the better of him, not this time. 

Undyne seemed to not believe him, but Alphys nodded, seemingly taking his word. Dinner finished shortly after, the two of them taking their leave, but not before Papyrus gave them both a hug and a box of leftovers. 

Error headed straight to the bedroom after they’d left, his spoons all but gone. He laid on the bed Comet had brought a month into his stay, curled up on his side as he tried not to think so loudly. 

The door opened a few minutes later, Comet stepping inside with barely a whisper of sound. There was a faint pressure as he sat behind Error, a hand resting on his spine as a comfort.

“Y’think they’ll leave it be now?” Comet asked, his voice low. Error shrugged, letting his sockets close. He really just wanted to sleep the whole encounter off, let the anxiety sitting at the back of his mind work itself off through dreams and nightmares that he’d forget when he woke up. 

Comet thankfully let him drift off, and, when he woke again, was asleep next to him. 

Error watched him sleep, wondering just how he’d gotten so lucky to have found a family that cared so much about a killer. That’s what Error was, a cold blooded killer, a ruthless bastard who didn’t care about anyone but himself. Until he met the one person who got under his metaphorical skin and made him care. 

Comet was his brother, both in soul and in any way that mattered. Error would kill for him, if it came down to it. He’d kill Ink, if the bastard dared to come here.

Sneaking out of bed, Error gently covered Comet with one of the blankets before heading for the living room, joining Papyrus on the couch to watch a few MTT reruns. They both had a large cookbook of recipes now, the two of them discussing what could be changed and what might be better.

Tonight, however, Error simply laid on the couch, allowing the tips of his toes to touch the edge of Papyrus’ femur. 

If Papyrus squeed in silent joy at the progress, well, the sleeping Error didn’t know it.

**Author's Note:**

> if you enjoyed, maybe leave a comment :D


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